Montreal’s 375th summer is not to be missed
Warm bagels and cool architecture among highlights
It was 1967 when the world discovered Montreal — thanks to the spectacular success of the Expo world fair, which drew millions to its shores.
The fair transformed the city into a world-class destination as visitors discovered its vibrant arts and culture. This year, Montreal is celebrating its 375th anniversary with the same joie de vivre that includes a light and sound show, boat cruises and museum exhibits. Here are some of the not-to-miss spots.
No event better reflects the city’s capacity for flair than the stunning multimedia sound and light show specially designed for the anniversary celebration. AURA uses the historic Notre-Dame Basilica as its canvas and, with the use of technology, lights up every alcove, pillar and crevice of the church for the most spectacular sensory experience you’ll ever see.
AURA took a year and a half to design, and is set to a soundtrack that features an original orchestral composition performed by 32 musicians, 20 choirs and the Basilica’s organ. It’s an unforgettable 20 minutes and I would go back just to experience it again. The show will run for the next four years.
From the unique to the familiar, no visit to Montreal is complete without a stop at the two world-famous bagel shops: St. Viateur Bagels at 263 Rue Saint Viateur Ouest and Fairmount Bagel at 74 Avenue Fairmont Ouest.
Don’t expect puffed-up, storebought bagels; these are lean and chewy with just a hint of sweetness. Both shops are open 24/7 as the bagels are made around the clock, each one hand rolled, boiled in honey water and cooked in a wood fired oven. Montrealers love to engage in friendly banter over which shop is better and the locals joke that differences of opinion on the subject have even divided families. For our family, however, it was an easy decision. We tried the sesame seed bagels at both shops and declared St. Viateur our favourite for its slightly chewier, sweeter taste.
On the subject of food, another must-visit is Maison Christian Faure, a quintessential French pastry shop with exquisite melt-in-yourmouth sugar brioches. It was no surprise to learn that Faure was born in France and educated there in the art of pastry making. The main shop at 355 Place Royale is small and cosy but includes a parlour, pastry shop, private lounge and pastry school. They make biscuits, madeleines, meringues and homemade jams but their pièce de résistance is the selection of sweet and fluffy macaroons.
After lunch we visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to take in their vast, well-known collection of international art, which dates back to 1860. There are more than 41,000 paintings, sculptures, graphic arts, photographs and decorative art objects displayed within four pavilions.
While you’re in that area, make a stop at the Montreal Tower Observatory in Olympic Park at Place Ville Marie. The observatory is the world’s tallest incline tower and
provides a 360-degree view of the city from more than 185 metres above street level. We had sweeping views of Mont Royal, the majestic St. Lawrence River, JacquesCartier Bridge (dazzling at night thanks to a digital, interactive lighting project) which will vary according to the seasons and to the “energy of the city” by collecting real-time data and expressing that data through light, the Olympic Stadium and Vieux-Montréal, the old city. On a clear day, it’s said you can see up to 80 kilometres of the St. Lawrence River.
We finished our afternoon with a cruise aboard a Bateau-Mouche. The enclosed tour boats depart for tours of varying lengths from the Old Port from the Jacques Cartier Pier. During our pleasant twohour tour, we saw the domed Biosphere, the Habitat 67 residential complex (designed by a university student for Expo and turned into million-dollar condos), and the famous clock tower which marks the port’s entrance and honours the memory of lost soldiers.
After the cruise, we headed back to our hotel. It was so close to Notre-Dame Basilica that we could see the back of the church from the hotel’s courtyard. Le Saint-Sulpice Hotel is in the heart of Old Montreal and its front doors open onto historic cobblestone streets. The hotel’s courtyard is also where we enjoyed the best continental breakfast ever: fresh fruit, slices of cheese, toast, granola and yogurt plus juice or tea. The rooms were super spacious with French windows looking out onto streets and the courtyard.
A short walk away was one of the best spots to take in a piece of Montreal’s history — the Place d’Armes. A stroll around the square will show you three centuries of the city’s spectacular architecture, all of which surround a fountain embedded with a bronze monument of the city’s founder, Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, which has graced the spot since 1895.
Behind the statue is the old Bank of Montreal and to the west is the city’s first skyscraper: the Aldred Building, which resembles the Empire State Building. We took all of this in while sitting by the fountain and enjoying the sweet sounds of street musicians.
Old Montreal is my favourite part of the city for its historic sites and cobblestone streets as well as its great art. There are more than 1,000 pieces of public art adorning the streets and buildings. We came across one of my favourites on Rue Saint-Paul: the comical Les chuchoteuses (The Gossipers), also referred to as the fat ladies talking. The bronze statue depicting three women seated on a bench was created by Rose-Aimée Bélanger and installed in 2012.
Another favourite is the comical statue of a frantic student working on his laptop, by Montreal street artist Sautu, that sits on the corner of Rue Sherbrooke across from McGill University’s Roddick Gates. Equal to both art installations, in style and beauty, is the architecture of the old buildings nearby that now house boutiques and pastry shops.
To truly appreciate the depth of Montreal’s history, visit its oldest building. The Sulpician Seminary dates back to 1684 and is said to be the finest example of institutional architecture from the French Régime. It was a home for “les sulpiciens” in the 17th and 18th centuries.
At night the Basilica resembles a kaleidoscope with a light and sound show. But make sure to also visit during the day, too, to take in the elegance and understand the history here and its connection to Montreal’s origins. Construction of the church began around 1672; it was rebuilt in 1830 and again in 1978 after a devastating fire.
None of the scars from the past are evident today, however, and it is a stunning architectural feat. The two-storey, elaborately carved black walnut pulpit anchors the middle of the church and is accessible by a curving staircase.
At its base are figures of two Old Testament prophets, Ezekiel and Jeremiah, dramatically lit up and perched there as if watching over all who visit.